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U.S. bottled water consumption increases 6.2% in 2012; sales up 6.7%
The International Bottled Water Assn. (IBWA), in conjunction with Beverage Marketing Corp. (BMC) has released 2012 bottled water statistics, compiled by BMC, a research, consulting and financial services firm dedicated to the global beverage industry. The new data show that the overall consumption of bottled water increased by 6.2% and bottled water sales were up 6.7%.
With another year on the books, it is time to look ahead to 2013. As always, the water treatment industry will face a variety of challenges and opportunities in the coming months. Domestically, new regulations loom — some positive, some negative — as California continues to set the legislative tone for the nation. Globally, opportunties await for companies ready to take the international plunge, but the challenges of certification remain.
Industry experts weigh in on what is to come in 2013
Change — it’s one of the few things we can count on, day in and day out. These days, change seems to happen at the speed of light, and while it may seem overwhelming, the many opportunities it brings also can be exhilarating. 2013 is poised to bring a wave of changes to the water treatment industry — and with it, a range of possibilities for those ready to grab them.
Combining technologies provides versatility in treating different kinds of water sources while keeping costs low
Rapid urbanization in the Asia Pacific region is prompting the rural population to intensify its demands for a better quality of life, which includes access to cleaner and purer water. This, coupled with demand for high-quality water from water-intensive industries, makes a robust case for mobile water treatment in the region.
New analysis from Frost and Sullivan, "Asia-Pacific Mobile Water Treatment Market," finds that the market earned revenues of $48.2 million in 2011 and is expected to reach $298.3 million by 2017.
About 1.7 billion people live in areas where groundwater is used more quickly than it can be replenished
Groundwater supplies water to billions of people and is important for agricultural irrigation and the health of ecosystems. Water resource assessments tend to focus on surface water, but there is increasing concern about the depletion of groundwater. Although groundwater stored in aquifers is naturally renewed, shortages can occur when it is removed more quickly than it is recharged. In order to devise appropriate management strategies and communicate the issue to the public, it is necessary to understand the extent of the problem and identify locations of particular concern.
Water Quality Products understands the importance of keeping up to date with current industry trends and information. We are pleased to bring you our sixth annual State of the Industry Report, which includes valuable current information regarding the water treatment industry and its trends.
An assessment of the water treatment industry
It's that time of year again — as 2012 draws to a close, everyone is reflecting on the year that just passed and planning for the year ahead. This year certainly has had its share of changes and challenges, from the still-bumpy economy to changing regulations to the presidential election; but, as always, the water treatment industry is meeting the challenges head on.
This fall, Water Quality Products conducted its sixth annual State of the Industry survey to obtain readers' perspectives on how this rollercoaster of a year has affected their businesses.
AHR Expo survey reveals that 70% of respondents expect the economy to be better in 2013
According to a recent AHR Expo survey sent to more than 1,000 HVACR manufacturers worldwide, 70% of the respondents expect the economy to be better in 2013 than in 2012. In fact, 15% of these manufacturers expect a “much better year,” while 28% percent of respondents expect the economy to remain the same. Just 3% expect it to be worse than 2012.
Many regions across the U.S. are experiencing drought conditions, and in the past few years Texas has been especially hard hit. Water Quality Products Managing Editor Kate Cline spoke with Bob Boerner, president of Culligan Southwest Inc., to find out how the drought is affecting water quality in the state.
Kate Cline: What is the status of the drought in Texas? What is the outlook?
“Ignorance is bliss,” or so the old adage goes—but unfortunately, when it comes to water, ignorance can be dangerous. According to a survey conducted by the Nature Conservancy, 77% of Americans who do not use private water wells do not know where their drinking water comes from.


text: While we just reported that Sierra says Ghostbusters is not canceled, it seems that Activision is all set to sell the developer to Vivendi. It seems that Activision is all set to unload some of its studios to the publishing giant. Activision Publishing CEO Mike Griffith stated that they are looking to sell classic publishing label Sierra as well as its affiliated studios. Oh well. Musical developer chairs is in full effect, it seems.

domain: news


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Today, the FCC voted to pass the Restoring Internet Freedom order, which repeals the 2015 “net neutrality” rules and reverts back to the “light regulatory” touch the FCC previously had in place regarding internet service providers (“ISPs”). Of primary importance, the FCC restored the classification of Broadband Internet Access Services as “information services” under Title
FTC and FCC Outline Memorandum of Understanding to Coordinate Online Consumer Protection Following Adoption of the FCC’s Restoring Internet Freedom Order
Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced their intent to coordinate which of the two agencies would coordinate online consumer protection efforts following the adoption of the Restore Internet Freedom Order, and published a draft Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that outlines those efforts.
The draft MOU outlines a number of…


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Giant pharmaceutical company Schering-Plough (SGP) , still fighting production problems, and fellow drugmaker Pharmacia Corp. (PHA) , which continues to digest Monsanto, both reported earnings today that met Street expectations.
The Kenilworth, N.J.-based Schering Plough, still hampered by well-publicized manufacturing problems, earned $634 million, or 43 cents per share, in the second quarter, matching last year's results. By bringing that number home, the drugmaker avoided the dubious honor of becoming the only major drug company to post negative earnings growth in the second quarter.
Pharmacia continues to make the most of its Monsanto merger; the drugmaker earned $844 million, or 63 cents per share in the second quarter, compared with $701 million, or 54 cents per share, in the year-ago period.
Earnings growth was boosted by $216 million in second-quarter cost savings wrung out of Pharmacia's merger with Monsanto last year. The savings equated to earnings of 10 cents per share in the second quarter, matching expectations, the company said.
Pharmacia's second-quarter total sales rose 5% to $5.4 billion. Sales of the arthritis pain drug Celebrex grew 13% to $710 million, compared to last year. Camptosar, the company's chief cancer drug, posted sales of $180 million, a 62% increase over the second quarter last year. Sales of the glaucoma drug Xalatan rose 14% to $171 million.
The company reiterated previous projections of 20% earnings growth for the remainder of 2001, according to a statement from Pharmacia Chairman and CEO Fred Hassan.
Schering-Plough is the most
embattled of the U.S. drugmakers, primarily because of a
Food and Drug Administration
crackdown on its manufacturing and quality-control practices. The manufacturing problems already have held up approval for Clarinex, Schering-Plough's new allergy-fighting drug and successor to Claritin. Supplies of several other drugs also are being affected.
Schering-Plough said second-quarter sales totaled $2.6 billion, again, flat with last year's results. Sales of the allergy medicine Claritin grew 3% to $925 million during the second quarter, but sales of the Intron A family of drugs fell 13% to $315 million. Intron A drugs are used to treat diseases like Hepatitis C and cancer.


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Cruise Tears The Tesla Bull Case Apart
Cruising Ahead of Tesla
Tesla has sold “Full Self-Driving” (FSD) as an add-on to their vehicles for years. But the system, which is only declared a level 2 driving assistant system to regulators, is still far from ready for the roads.
Cruise on the other hand — a company owned in majority by General Motors — appears to be firing on all cylinders.
Apart from entering the last phase of marketing before rolling out its driverless taxi service in the first location, San Fransisco, they just raised additional cash to scale the business.
And not from anybody. The SoftBank Vision Fund, notorious for early and large investments in disruptive technology firms at key inflection points, has contributed $1.35 billion.
For perspective, Tesla’s total R&D spend sits at around $1.4 billion per year, according to Statista.
The investment means Cruise can quickly scale its business to cover more locations and expand its fleet to satisfy demand.
The investment is part of an old deal, with SoftBank having already posted money in the project in the early stages. The current cash injection was reserved for the moment when Cruise was ready to deploy a commercial fleet.
Microsoft and Walmart are also invested in Cruise.
But where is Tesla?
Elon used to talk a lot about robotaxis. In fact, at the 2019 “Autonomy Day” event at Tesla, he promised a million robotaxis on American streets at the end of 2020.
They have yet to showcase a well-functioning self-driving system despite them shilling their FSD add-on for years.
Letting customers beta test a flawed system is not going to cut it.
Every day, multiple videos of beta testers experiencing poor (and dangerous) detection and driving by the FSD system are posted on social media (see for example here).
There are also reports of frequent phantom breaking in the latest edition of the software.
The position of Tesla in the competitive landscape was perfectly captured in a congressional subcommittee hearing on February 3rd, 2022. The hearing was entitled “The Road Ahead for Automated Vehicles.”
When asked by a committee member why Tesla was not a part of the Autonomous Vehicle Industry Association, the general counsel of the association, Ariel Wolf had the following to say:
“Tesla is not a member of our association because it is not an autonomous vehicle technology, it is a driver assistance technology.”
(Ariel Wolf, general counsel of AVIA)
But what does the Cruise news mean for market expectations toward Tesla’s ability to generate cash flow in the future?
If it is already well known that Tesla is not well-positioned to capture market share in autonomous vehicles, why should the stock be sensitive to what is simply confirmation of consensus?
Let us turn to the analysts.
The Tesla Price Targets and Their Cardboard Foundations
Adam Jonas currently has a buy recommendation with a one-year price target of $1.300. That is a ~44 percent upside from the closing price of $905.66 on February 2nd.
Dan Ives is even more optimistic about the future of electric vehicle makers. His fair value lies in the interval of $1.400 — $1.800 (~55 to 99 percent upside).
Cathie Wood, the founder and head of ARK Invest who shills high beta technology ETF’s to retail investors, said she had a five-year price target of $3.000 as her base case back in September (~230 percent upside).
Tesla has long been a top holding in the flagship ARK fund ($ARKK or ARK Innovation). At least Cathy puts her money where her mouth is.
Note that none of the above price targets are hot off the press.
The price target of ARK is based on the ridiculous model from almost a year ago, which I at the time covered in more detail here.
ARK Invest’s Tesla Model is the New Laughing Stock Amongst Investors
From the misuse of Monte Carlo simulations to ridiculous assumptions, critics have a hard time keeping a straight face
The sell-side analyst estimates are bound for revision after the next Tesla quarterly report.
Other notably generous price targets are Mizuho at $1.300, Oppenheimer at $1.103, and Canaccord at $1.200.
Common for many of the optimists are assumptions of Tesla delivering autonomous vehicles within the foreseeable future.
Is ARK Invest’s bull case (which is associated with a whopping $4.000 price target), they assume net revenue from autonomous ride-hailing at no less than $327 billion! Naturally, they assume Tesla will achieve true full self-driving (level 5) within those five years — AND scale a ride-hailing service on top.
Dan Ives of Wedbush had the following to say in an interview with Yahoo Finance:
I mean FSD ultimately over time is worth 300, 400 hours a share to the story. So as they continue to sort of execute there, but you need more data points, more and more drivers to participate in the FSD program. And that’s going to be a focus of the street over the coming years.
But FSD, I mean that’s sort of the cherry on top of the sundae. That’s really from a bull perspective, a big part of the Tesla story. And that’s why for any core bull in Tesla that’s been through all the battles over the last few years, you know they’re just in a position of strength here, especially when it comes to distribution that moat.
We have a $1,400 base target. And there’s nothing we see here in any way changed our bull thesis.
(Dan Ives of Wedbush Securities, December 29, 2021.
These views of the quality and prospects of FSD are completely misguided. It leads the bullish analysts to greatly overestimate the future market share, margins, and thus profitability of Tesla.
Even with the solid fourth-quarter financial report recently released by Tesla, the above-mentioned price targets are ludacris. Stellar growth in electric vehicle sales is not enough to support such a valuation.
Elon Musk knows it.
His suddenly talking about humanoids like developing a robot for production assistance is suddenly the most important thing for Tesla, is an acknowledgment of defeat.
He needs to divert attention away from self-driving. He needs a new air-castle to inflate the valuation of his business.
It has been tried before with solar, insurance, and batteries.
Perhaps the Tesla bulls should look to the reasonable part of the street where price targets are more modest and reflect that Tesla is a car company — a car company that will face ever-increasing competition challenging both revenue growth and auto gross margin going forward.
For example, JP Morgan and Barclays both have a price target of $325 while Citigroup has a target of 313 — an upgrade after Tesla reported larger than expected deliveries in 2021Q4.


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Investors are no longer pumping money into the agriculture sector. Investments in food and agriculture businesses have hit a five-year low this year, a study shows.
So far in 2016, total investment in the food and agriculture sectors has been $250 million, a 78% decline from 2015 (full year), claimed the study.
There have so far been only 62 deals in the sector this year, as compared with 153 in 2015. Total fund inflow touched a five-year low after the sector received $523 million of investments in 2014, $406 million in 2013 and $435 million in 2012.
Agriculture, farming and processing companies attracted the maximum investments in 2016 with six deals amounting to $79 million. However, this is a decline of about 58% from $191 million in 2015.
Food technology and online groceries received only $67 million of investment in 2016, a sharp decline from $504 million in 2015. Between 2014 and 2015, investments in food technology and online groceries jumped 358%.
There were nine deals totalling $42 million in the packaged food segment in 2016 so far, a 68% fall from the previous year.
“Dairy and poultry has been the only segment to witness a growth of 120%, with investments amounting to $33 million in 2016 spread across two deals,” the study added.


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The Wii U is a failure. Sorry to be so blunt but that’s the way it is right now. Consumers aren’t purchasing the console, developers are reluctant to release games for it and even Nintendo themselves seem to be more concerned with the 3DS. The Wii U’s future has been the subject of many debates over the past few months and with E3 approaching, most Wii U owners were hoping that Nintendo would finally silence their critics on our industry’s grandest stage.
That was until April 25th 2013, where all hope of the Wii U making an epic recovery was diminished. April 25th was day Nintendo announced that they would not host a press conference at this year’s Electronic Games Expo. At a time when Nintendo had to fight harder than they’ve ever fought before, the company decided that they would not be fighting at all. Naturally this news set the Internet on fire and caused virtual riots on forums across the globe. Nintendo later clarified that will have a conference at E3, just not in the grandiose fashion that we’ve come to expect. Instead the company will have two smaller “gatherings” and rely on web shows like Nintendo Direct to fill in the blanks. Of course hardcore gamers are still unsettled by this news but rather than focus on the negatives, let’s discuss what Nintendo could do to overcome all obstacles and still have a great E3.
In this industry there’s never a good time to lay all of your cards on the table, but it seems that Nintendo no longer has a choice. With the Wii U in danger of becoming the next Sega Saturn and new consoles from Microsoft and Sony just months away, this E3 has the potential to make or break Nintendo’s future as a console manufacturer. Nintendo’s back is firmly pressed up against the wall and they need to come out swinging like Little Mac against Mike Tyson! They need to treat this E3 like it’s their last because it very well might be. We all know Smash Bros, a 3D Mario game, Wind Waker HD and Mario Kart 8 will be on display but Nintendo also needs to give us a glimpse of their 2014/2015 line-up. No one is expecting Star Fox or F-Zero titles to be at the show so Nintendo has an opportunity to wow us with EPIC teaser trailers, even if they’re all CG and not indicative of the final games. Nintendo could also gain some much-needed Internet Points by showing us more lame Nintendo Land fireworks… but this time have Metroids crash the party which prompts Samus to fall from the sky revealing her beautiful HD form! People would lose their minds!
Seriously though, Nintendo needs to makes GAMES a focus of their E3 presence, games and nothing else! We don’t want to hear about MiiVerse launching on the iPhone or how many idiots watched the Super Bowl on Nintendo TVii. Save that crap for a Press Release! We also know that the likes of Pikmin 3, Wii Fit U and Game & Wario are coming soon but we don’t need to hear more about them at E3. These games were due out months ago so just release them already! We don’t care about new Pikmin colours or Wii Fit poses, we want to see brand new games from the geniuses who helped shape our childhood… even if we won’t be able to play them until next year. We also need to see third parties supporting the Wii U with new, original titles. Sonic Lost Levels and Beyonetta 2 and both cool, but let’s be honest, most gamers would rather play those games on true next-gen platforms. We need to titles like Rayman Legends and Zombi U that fully utilize the Wii U’s unique properties and reminds us why having a giant screen on our controller is actually a good thing.
The 3DS is doing great right now. Really great! 3DS owners have plenty to look forward to in the coming months including A Link To The Past, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, Pokemon X & Y, Donkey Kong Country and so much Mario! In the fight against the Vita, Nintendo are kicking ass and taking names just like Reggie said they would back in 2004. So take a break 3DS, you’ve earned it! Now is the time for Nintendo to sell some damn consoles! Time is precious at E3 and every second Nintendo spends bragging about the 3DS is time that they could have spent trying to resuscitate their dying console. That’s not to say the 3DS should be ignored. Nintendo can still release trailers and new information for those great titles listed above but the Wii U needs to be their core focus if they wish to sit at the same table as Sony and Microsoft for the next 6 or 7 years.
By not having a traditional press conference, Nintendo are in a unique position where they don’t have to cram all of their announcements into a confined time slot. While the mainstream press will be focused Microsoft and Sony this year, Nintendo can ensure that they won’t be buried on sites like IGN by announcing new titles throughout the 2-day event. By not blowing their whole load at once, Nintendo can give each of their announcements the breathing room they deserve. Games like Smash Bros. and whatever title Retro is working on deserve more than a trailer at the end of a conference and I’m pretty sure Nintendo knows that.
With weak console sales, fierce competition and dwindling third party support, Nintendo have to fight for survival come June. Even against the 360 and the PS3 the Wii U is struggling to make an impact so attempting to compete against next generation consoles seems like a lost cause at this point. As both a Nintendo fan and a Wii U owner I’ve never been as nervous about the company’s future as I am right now. By having a severely underpowered console, Nintendo will have to rely on quality software to see them through the next several years. The fact that popular titles such as FIFA 14, Madden 25 and Call Of Duty: Ghosts aren’t announced for the system suggests that the Wii U is already dead in the water and E3 2013 might be Nintendo’s last chance to prove otherwise.
If Nintendo takes a “f*** specs, check out all these franchises you know and love in HD for the very first time!” approach, E3 2013 could be theirs for the taking. I guess we’ll find out in 3 weeks…


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'Ingenious' – The Sunday Times … 'Thoroughly compelling' – Mail on Sunday … 'Addictive' – The Sun
Good news for eBook fans … Lake Child has just dropped to a special pre-order price of £1.99 on Amazon Kindle! If you’ve enjoyed my previous thrillers, please do spread the word with your book-loving friends!
I’m pleased to say that my bestselling psychological thriller Little Sister is still going strong, with over 600 5* reviews across Goodreads and Amazon … and currently just 99p on Amazon Kindle and Kobo eBook. If you enjoyed Little Sister, please do spread… Continue Reading “Over 600 Five Star Reviews for Little Sister!”
This week I’ve been working with West Sussex Libraries, meeting members of Bognor Regis reading groups, and chatting with the team at Pageturners – all in celebration of Libraries Week. If you’re looking for a reading group to join, contact your local library for… Continue Reading “Celebrating the Nation’s Libraries”


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The integration of Lawgix International into Rapid Packaging’s portfolio not only bolsters the company’s supply chain capabilities but also augments its offering of sustainability-focused solutions.
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, UNITED STATES, February 29, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — Rapid Packaging, Inc., a leading player in the packaging industry, has announced its strategic acquisition of Lawgix International, a move aimed at fortifying its national supply chain strategy, particularly in the realm of Flexible Intermediate Bulk Containers (FIBC) and industrial bags division. This acquisition signifies a pivotal step towards enhancing Rapid Packaging’s operational efficiency and market positioning in the ever-evolving landscape of sustainable packaging solutions.
The integration of Lawgix International into Rapid Packaging’s portfolio not only bolsters the company’s supply chain capabilities but also augments its offering of sustainability-focused solutions, notably through the innovative Multi-Trip Bulk Bag Program. This program, pioneered by the former President/CEO of Lawgix International, Mike Lawrentz, has garnered significant acclaim within various sectors including agriculture, food manufacturing, and resin production.
By introducing a pioneering Use-and-Reuse Loop model in collaboration with multinational clientele, Lawgix International has successfully demonstrated the viability and efficacy of a traceable and sustainable bag program, marking a paradigm shift away from conventional single-use packaging solutions.
The burgeoning demand for sustainable alternatives to single-use bulk bags has been further catalyzed by legislative initiatives such as California’s SB665 and SB64. These regulations underscore the urgent need for environmentally conscious practices within the packaging industry, thereby propelling Rapid Packaging, Inc. to amplify its investments in order to meet the escalating market demand.
Mike Sime, co-CEO of Rapid Packaging, emphasized the company’s unwavering commitment to spearheading this transformative shift towards sustainability, affirming, “The impact of legislation introduced – like California’s SB665 and SB64 – on the packaging industry, is increasing our investment to handle the demand. This is not a trend or a nice-to-have, this is happening. Rapid Packaging, Inc. is committed to lead the way.”
In light of these developments, Rapid Packaging, Inc. is actively expanding its operational capacity to accommodate the burgeoning demand for sustainable solutions, both domestically and internationally. By leveraging its newly reinforced supply chain infrastructure and innovative product offerings, the company aims to solidify its position as an industry leader in sustainable packaging solutions, driving meaningful progress towards a greener and more sustainable future.
About Rapid Packaging, Inc.
Rapid Packaging, Inc. is a leading innovator in the packaging industry, offering a wide range of solutions tailored to meet diverse client needs. With a strong emphasis on quality and sustainability, Rapid Packaging is committed to driving positive change in the industry through cutting-edge technologies and customer-centric approaches.
About Lawgix International
Lawgix International is a global leader in sustainable packaging solutions, renowned for its pioneering initiatives and commitment to environmental stewardship. The company’s Multi-Trip Bulk Bag Program has revolutionized the packaging landscape, offering clients a sustainable alternative to conventional single-use packaging options.
About Box Reports
Box Reports gets your packaging story in front of the people who need to see it. Whether they’re a competitor, supplier, or potential contact in another industry, your announcement will be a can’t-miss statement to the packaging world. Our team of insiders have the experience and insight needed to create a story that’s clear, concise, and compelling. That’s the press release your business deserves.
email us here
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Article originally published on www.einpresswire.com as Rapid Packaging, Inc. Accelerates Sustainable Supply Chain Leadership With Strategic Acquisition of Lawgix International


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HCW starts Myomo at buy
H.C. Wainwright initiated coverage of Myomo (NYSE MKT:MYO) with a “buy” rating and $12 price target. The stock closed at $6 on Sept. 29.
Myomo is a wearable robotics company targeting a largely unmet need in providing a solution for upper limb paralysis. The company is the only current provider of a robotic upper limb product line, combining sensor and motion technology, which can aid in restoring function for patients suffering from upper extremity paralysis, writes analyst Amit Dayal.
The company’s MyoPro offering is registered with FDA as a Class 2 device and recently obtained CE Mark approval for commercial sale in Europe.
“In our opinion, the recent pull back in the stock post its IPO driven enthusiasm has once again created an attractive entry point for investors,” Mr. Dayal said. “We believe the company’s current market cap of approximately $37-million does not accurately represent the growth opportunity ahead.”
He expects revenue to grow from $4-million in 2018 to more than $50-million in 2023, presenting a 66.5% CAGR.


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NICE announced that it is offering its market-leading CXone Workforce Optimization (WFO) suite as a cloud-native application on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to Amazon Connect customers. This integration gives users powerful and flexible WFO features, enabling an exceptional customer experience.
The NICE CXone platform enables continuous and non-disruptive feature delivery as organizations using Amazon Connect scale up or down to meet specific business needs. The full suite of CXone WFO solutions includes advanced forecasting capabilities, agent-preference-based scheduling, and user-friendly quality management and recording tools for monitoring, evaluating and coaching employees. Sign-up and onboarding takes only a few minutes, delivering a faster return on investment.
“Workforce optimization plays a critical role for Amazon Connect customers,” said Pasquale DeMaio, General Manager of Amazon Connect at Amazon Web Services, Inc. “The NICE cloud-based CXone WFO product, integrated with Amazon Connect, will provide value to our customers and empower enterprises to deliver world-class customer service experiences.”
Miki Migdal, President of the NICE Enterprise Product Group: “We are excited to announce our latest initiative in delivering the market’s leading cloud-native WFO solution. By bringing the flexibility of NICE CXone WFO to organizations benefiting from the efficiencies of Amazon Connect’s automatic call distributor (ACD), NICE is enabling contact centers to focus on engaging and optimizing their workforce. And an effective and motivated workforce is the driving factor behind customer satisfaction and meeting business goals.”


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CNMV President, Rodrigo Buenaventura, said that the CNMV are looking at regulating ads promoting bitcoin as soon as possible
In a conference hosted by El Espanol called “Observatory of Finance”, the president of the National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), Rodrigo Buenaventura, expressed his stance on ads as he considers them to be risky.
There is concern among Spanish financial authorities as a number of bitcoin advertisements have emerged across a number of streets in Madrid.
Buenaventura has called for regulation on all cypto-related advertisments, rather than just focusing on bitcoin.
The sudden urgency to regulate crypto advertisements is not yet known as even Buenaventura did not disclose why there is a call to regulate these ads.
However, the notion to control these street advertisements come after Bit2me, a Spanish crypto exchange, launched a campaign promoting Bitcoin throughout Madrid.
The campaign included over 800 posters in the Spanish capital. Buenaventura, during the conference, explained how the regulation’s approval will be dealt with:
“We will conduct a broad public consultation, consult our advisory committee, and submit it to the Council of State before approval. It is also necessary to emphasise that what is controlled by the CNMV are not the assets (cryptocurrencies) or the providers or the operations, but only the advertising when they are offered as an investment alternative.”
The CNMV has been very vocal with their views on cryptocurrency. The financial watchdog is concerned about the risks that come with cryptocurrencies such as it’s “increased speculative nature.”
Buenaventura has confirmed that the CNMV should and will follow the regulations during the whole process so that no other legitimate businesses will be harmed with the newly proposed restriction.
In early February, the CNMV also released a joint press statement with the Banco de Espana outlining cryptocurrencies as high risk investments due to “extreme volatiliy, complexity and lack of transparency.”
The financial authority is looking to stop advertisements that promote cryptocurrencies as an investment alternative. These claims by the Spanish financial authority come at a time when major investment banks and firms such as Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have embraced bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
About AIBC Dubai:
AIBC UAE will take place on the 25th to 26th May, 2021, in the emirate of Dubai. The event will bring together key brands and individuals from the converging sectors of AI, blockchain, IoT, Quantum Tech to discuss and shape the future of emerging tech.
It is one of the leading events globally for blockchain, AI, crypto, and other emerging technologies, and gathers together an elite selection of delegates, policymakers and thought leaders from across the globe. Such international recognition has helped propel AIBC Summit become a favourite on the world circuit for emerging tech conferences and expos.


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Dr M: Malaysia could retaliate against EU by buying from ChinaMarch 24, 2019 @ 6:41PM
By Dawn Chan
KUALA LANGAT: Malaysia could retaliate by looking at buying products from other countries, even fighter jets from China, should the European Union (EU) continue its discriminatory stance against Malaysian palm oil.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Malaysia may move in that direction should the EU's campaign to paint palm oil in a negative light persists.
"We can retaliate if they do not want to buy our palm oil. Then we don't need to buy their products, too. I just returned from Pakistan where there was a national parade and there was an impressive aerobatic performance by fighter jets made in China.
"If we have to buy a fighter jet, we have to take into consideration those made in China and we will buy them. I think China's technology is not that bad and is even better than the West. This is the extent that the West is afraid and has disallowed China's products into their country. They want to stop goods from China as well as palm oil.
"If they do so, we cannot sell and we will be making a loss and we will buy fighter jets from China. This can be done as the EU had unfairly stopped our palm oil from going into their countries to protect their own oil market and economy and they continue to take action against us, trying to impoverish us ," said Dr Mahathir.
The prime minister was speaking during the launching of the Love My Palm Oil campaign at East Estate, Sime Darby Plantations in Pulau Carey here.
Also present at the launch were Primary Industries Minister Teresa Kok and her deputy Datuk Seri Shamsul Iskandar Md Akin as well as Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Dr Xavier Jayakumar, who is also Kuala Langat MP.
At a press conference later, Dr Mahathir said Putrajaya would look into reducing the purchase of products from EU member countries as there was still a need to buy from them.
"We cannot go to war with them because we still need to buy from them but only specific products. We have a lot of options and we cannot cut down on EU products hastily because we need to study the effects of it.
"Our move is not to promote China but to reject EU products that will impoverish us," said Dr Mahathir, who also described EU's threat against Malaysian palm oil as propaganda, adding that there was no reason to boycott the product if they do not feel like using it.
"Palm oil is not poison and they should not say it, like it cannot be put into food. They want to label food products without palm oil. This is propaganda by them. They do not have any pity for 600,000 poor workers who will lose their jobs and income if we shut down the plantations.
"But they are more concerned with the fate of the wildlife like elephants, tigers and Orang Utan by claiming we are carrying out deforestation and the animals are losing their habitat. They want to save the animals at the expense of the poor people (plantation workers) in Malaysia.
"That should not be happening. If they do not want to buy our palm oil, just say they do not want. Do not give unreasonable excuses which don't make sense," said Dr Mahathir.
The Prime Minister said Malaysia needs to win the war over palm oil by fully embracing the commodity and rejecting products by those who deliberately want to block one's progress.
He said EU's discrimination of Malaysian palm oil was because of the high cost of producing soybean oil compared to palm oil.
"To produce palm oil is cheap while soybean is expensive. So we need to compete and defeat them. To protect their oil market, they claim that palm oil is dangerous to consume, unhealthy and can bring illnesses and that forests and wildlife are wiped out because of deforestation.
"That is their excuse but in actual fact, their soybean oil cannot complete with palm oil.
Oil palm trees once planted can produce fruits for 25 years while soybean must be replanted annually. Their action is to protect their own interest and economy," added Dr Mahathir.
On the Philippines’ move to temporarily halt the import of palm oil
from Indonesia and Malaysia, Dr Mahathir said being Asean countries, it provides room for discussion and a resolution on the matter.


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This food brand is introducing pinole to the natural marketThis food brand is introducing pinole to the natural market
Chia is mainstream, but why hasn’t pinole, another Aztec-era power food, gained the same recognition? New brand Native State Foods is bringing to market a purple maize pinole, which is designed to be eaten for breakfast—and according to co-founder Angela Palmieri, is made with ingredients chosen for their healthfulness, not their low cost. “We saw an opportunity to bill Native State Foods and our first product line, Purely Pinole, on really choosing premium nutrition ingredients that are real,” she says.
Watch to learn more about this small brand’s role in tackling issues like traceability, sustainability and public health.
Interested in learning more about Esca Bona, the good food conference, happening Oct. 16-18, 2017, in Austin? Sign up to receive email updates here.
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The return of business travel is expected as employees embrace blended travel for a stronger work/life balance. In fact, according to recent surveys blended travel is expected to reach USD300 billion in 2024.
Outside the business world what else is likely to see an increase in 2024?
We’ll see more people opting for Rail travel.
Why? It’s climate friendly ( it’s worth remembering that tourism is actually falling short of its targets for climate change) , it’s comfortable and it adds a certain glamour. Rail transport is the fastest growing category and is expected to reach over 35% growth worldwide in 2024.
We will see a rise in Niche Tourism such as wellness, luxury, eco-tourism, sports and adventure as consumers increasingly prioritise personalised experiences aligned with their lifestyles and values. Sales of sports tourism packages are forecast to grow by 15% this year thanks to the big global events including the Olympics in Paris and UEFA EURO 2024 in Germany.
Travellers are getting younger. Millennials (aged 30-44) now make up the largest share of travellers and Digital Travellers, according to a recent survey. Luxury Seekers will heading to the Middle Eastern and Asia Pacific countries whilst Eco-Adventurers will prefer Asia Pacific and Europe. Europe is likely to see a rise in Cultural Explorers
Retail and experiences will also see growth in 2024. Duty-free shopping, museums and cultural sites are expected to be the second and third highest growth categories, with 24.9% and 17.9%, respectively,
With new developments in AI making it even easier to segment and personalise these are exciting times and 2024 is looking good for the travel industry.


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HTC launches floor grinder
11 April 2018
Swedish manufacturer HTC has launched a new floor grinder, adding to its Duratiq range.
The Duratiq 5 has a grinding width of 515mm and is available in two models – one with a motor rated at 2.2kW and the other at 4kW. Both models boast a new design with the focus on ease of handling and power, which HTC said were key factors in this machine segment.
The company’s new model will replace the HTC 420 and HTC 500.
The model has been officially launched today (11 April).
Cathérine Königk, HTC’s head of marketing, said, “We’re happy to be able continue the traditions from the popular HTC 420 and 500, and offer our customers a more powerful yet ergonomic machine.
“That operators gain a complete overview of the machine’s capacity and functions in an entirely new way with the digital control panel is something we believe will be much appreciated. We’re tremendously proud of how our R&D department has succeeded in utilising the technology from the larger models and adapting it and the associated benefits to this compact format.”


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Proposal would boost capacity for creativity in computer lab
Library officials have proposed an overhaul of the computer lab at North Branch Library to add high-powered computers, software, peripherals and training for more sophisticated users.
Dubbed the Forge, the “maker space” would support creative activities that require technology resources often too costly for individuals to purchase and maintain, and very little of which is publicly available in Denton, according to Trey Ford, a technology librarian at North Branch.
There are some membership-based maker spaces in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio, Ford said. He’s seen select business service stores pilot maker spaces, too.
Public libraries are beginning to offer such services, too, according to Terri Gibbs, Denton’s director of libraries. She toured a new maker space at the Chicago Public Library as part of a professional development conference to see how it works.
Just like library classes that offer computer basics to newbies — which the library will continue to offer in the lab — the maker space will come with classes and support for people who want to learn higher-end skills, Gibbs said.
When people think about libraries, they often think about books, but libraries serve lifelong learning, Gibbs said.
“To stay relevant into the 21st century, libraries need to offer the full spectrum of services,” Gibbs said.
With the overhaul, the library could offer the services people need for sound and music recording and editing, podcasting, video creation and editing and digital art, including comics.
Ford will also offer classes using special educational computers that help people understand hardware and software, so they can work on innovations in computers themselves.
Once trained on the equipment, users could come to the maker space with their designs and output objects on a 3-D printer, too. That capability allows designers to build and test inexpensive prototypes of objects they create, Gibbs said.
The Forge is part of several supplemental spending packages being considered by the City Council for the coming fiscal year. Equipping the maker space is expected to cost about $13,000, including the purchase of the 3-D printer and enough spools of thermoplastic to last about a year.
The classes and the equipment would be available for free to library users, although there would likely be fees for 3-D printing to recoup some of those costs, similar to the nominal charges the library has for making photocopies, Gibbs said.
So far the maker space appears to have City Council support, as well as meeting a community need, Gibbs said. It isn’t that people have asked for specific equipment, but they have been asking for more sophisticated technology resources. Denton is a creative community with unique needs, he said.
“It’s our job to figure it out,” Gibbs said.
Denton Public Library has a survey up on its website, www.dentonlibrary.com, where residents can provide feedback on its services, including the maker space.
Should the council approve the proposal, the library plans to have the equipment in place by January, but Ford will begin offering some classes for higher-end users in October, which aren’t limited to adults. Teens will be able to take the classes, too.
In November, Ford will also offer “Squishy Circuits,” a class that introduces elementary students to computers as they build circuits with modeling dough.
PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881 and via Twitter at @phwolfeDRC.


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While Europe’s luxury brands shone at Paris Fashion Week, investors are growing wary of luxury stock investments due to concerns surrounding a Chinese economic slowdown and fluctuating interest rates.
At the outset of 2023, luxury stocks were in high demand, driven by expectations of a resurgence in Chinese sales after years of lockdowns and sustained post-pandemic spending in the U.S. However, the STOXX Europe Luxury 10 index has recently recorded its most significant quarterly decline since 2020, shedding $175 billion in market value since March.
Several factors have contributed to this decline, including a turbulent Chinese economic recovery, decelerating growth, and mounting inflation, which have prompted U.S. consumers to tighten their purse strings. Rising interest rates and investor positioning have also played a role.
Bernard Ahkong, co-CIO at UBS O’Connor Global Multi-Strategy Alpha, observed, «The sector has experienced a sharp de-rating over the past 2-3 months, driven by a combination of rising interest rates, investor positioning, and anticipation of earnings cuts.»
While the luxury index still shows a 20% year-on-year increase, the third quarter marked its weakest quarterly performance in comparison to the STOXX 600, which declined by 2.5%.
Analysts are expressing concerns about the outlook for luxury consumption in the U.S., Europe, and China. Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, cited uncertainties surrounding the European and Chinese economies as significant contributors to the recent downturn in European luxury stocks.
The upcoming release of quarterly sales reports by major European luxury groups, commencing with LVMH on Oct. 10, may provide further insight into the sector’s performance.
Although luxury valuations have dipped, they continue to surpass the broader market significantly. LVMH’s 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio stands at approximately 21, while Richemont’s is 15.6, in contrast to the STOXX 600’s approximately 12, according to LSEG data.
Notably, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk overtook LVMH as Europe’s most valuable listed company last month, signaling a shift in investor sentiment away from luxury stocks.
Some analysts have adopted a more cautious stance on the luxury sector. UBS recently revised its estimates to factor in the risk of a slowdown in Chinese consumption. Morgan Stanley and Bank of America have also trimmed their earnings forecasts, citing reduced spending in the U.S. and Europe following the pandemic.
While consensus has become more cautious, several market players and analysts remain optimistic about the long-term outlook. Analysts at Bernstein suggest that companies like LVMH, which are investing in marketing and moderating price increases, are well-positioned in an uncertain economic environment.
Gilles Guibout, head of European equity strategies at AXA Investment Managers, expressed cautious interest, stating that luxury stocks have moved closer to long-term averages, making them more attractive. However, he maintained his underweight rating due to ongoing uncertainties and plans to assess quarterly results for confirmation of a slowdown.
The luxury sector, known for its resilience, now navigates a landscape of shifting investor sentiment and economic challenges, with market players keeping a keen eye on the road ahead.


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Chicken lovers in Noblesville made their presence known Thursday morning as Raising Cane’s opened its doors to the community.
The restaurant, located at 13020 Campus Pkwy., is known for its chicken tenders and celebrated its grand opening at 10 a.m. The long-awaited arrival of Raising Cane’s was also evident by the large crowd that gathered outside.
The restaurant chain gave out free meals for a year to 20 people who entered a raffle if they were in line before 9:30 a.m. During the grand opening, Raising Cane’s donated $2,500 to the Humane Society of
Hamilton County, while the Noblesville Boys & Girls Club also received a $1,500 donation. The restaurant is the second location to open in the Indianapolis area after a store opened in November at 8970 E. U.S. Highway 36 in Avon.
The Noblesville store will be open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to midnight,and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. For more, visit raisingcanes.com.


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Making calls to other EU countries will now be a whole lot cheaper after lawmakers agreed that SMS and call prices will be capped.
In a move which is thought to come as part of plans for new and improved Internet services across the continent, phone companies will now only charge 19c per minute per call to other EU states, whilst text messages will cost no more than 6c each.
Although the move has been questioned by phone operators who claim the usage of free Internet services such as WhatsApp and Skype have has a detrimental effect on the industry.
However EU lawmakers argue that changes must be made given that international calls and texts were significantly and unfairly high on consumers.
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Hyatt earnings ahead
Hyatt delivered ebitda up 21.1% at USD178m in the fourth quarter. Global revpar improved 4.2% in the quarter with full service US hotels leading the portfolio, delivering a 7.0% uplift.
Occidental sale nears
AMResorts and Playa Hotels are among bidders looking to buy hotelier Occidental Hotels & Resorts. The company, owned by Zara clothing owner Amancio Ortega and Spanish bank BBVA, could fetch up to USD700m, reports Bloomberg.
Greener Melia beats targets
Hotel group Melia has cut carbon emissions by 7.3% and water use by 7.9%, beating its own green targets set out in a strategic plan. The company is also seeing the benefit of investing in replacing more than 22,000 lightbulbs at its European hotels with LED equivalents.
IHG celebrates 30 years in China
IHG is launching a series of events to mark 30 years of operating in the country. It opened the Holiday Inn Beijing Lido in 1984 and now claims to be the largest international hotel group in China with close to 200 hotels open.


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It feels a bit like Groundhog Day in the world of small businesses: higher prices, hiring difficulties, supply chain headaches. And unrelenting uncertainty over the trajectory of the national economy.
Here’s a look, via recent small business surveys, at how they’re doing as we head toward the end of 2021.
Overall Sentiment: On One Hand, On the Other
First, the good news. In its Q3 report, released in October, Yelp found that “the vast majority [85%] of businesses that experienced a temporary closure during the pandemic have reopened.” In the most recent Small Business Pulse Survey data from the Census Bureau (now in Phase 7, through the first week of December), 36% of respondents expect recovery to take longer than six months. That is the best reading since July and far better than a year ago, when nearly half of small businesses saw prolonged recovery.
This improvement in small business outlook may reflect the banner day that many experienced two days after Thanksgiving, on what’s become known as Small Business Saturday. An American Express survey said consumer spending at small businesses hit an all-time high of $23.3 billion this year. That was an 18% increase from 2020. Over half (58%) of respondent shoppers said they bought something from a small business online. That was just 43% in 2019.
Fortified optimism among small businesses is also reflected in new business openings, the total number of which is higher through the first three quarters of 2021 than during the same time period in 2019, according to Yelp. Increases have been seen especially among hotels, nightlife (dance clubs, comedy clubs, lounges), and beauty services.
Now the not so great news.
The Small Business CEO Confidence Index, tracked in the WSJ/Vistage survey, fell in November for the sixth straight month. Just 26% of respondents expect economic improvement within the next year, while 34% expect the economy to worsen. Similarly, the October Small Business Economic Trends report from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) found a continuing slide in the share of small businesses expecting better business conditions within six months.
Few small businesses have enjoyed full recovery. In Alignable’s Road to Recovery November report, just 27% said they are at or above pre-Covid revenue levels. Respondents in the Pulse survey (with a much larger sample) report even worse experience. Just 19% have returned to their normal level of operations, a drop of three points from July.
Worryingly, one in eight small businesses in the Pulse survey say they “do not believe this business will return to its normal level of operations.” That sounds low, but it’s the highest share saying this in any phase of the survey. Alignable also highlighted what continues to be a disparate pace of recovery among small businesses: 85% of minority-owned businesses say have yet to fully recover, compared to 77% veteran-owned, 76% women-owned, 72% non-minority owned.
Capital? Maybe Later.
In Biz2Credit’s latest Small Business Lending Index, reporting results for November, loan approvals for small businesses rose across nearly all types of lenders from the previous month:
- Alternative lenders: 25.8%
- Institutional lenders: 24.8%
- Credit unions: 20.6%
- Small banks: 19.9%
- Big banks: 14.2%
Each, with the exception of credit unions, was higher than a year earlier.
The challenge, it seems, is that not many small businesses are seeking fresh finance. In the NFIB report, nearly one-quarter (23%) of respondents said all their credit needs were met—and 63% reported no interest in a new loan. Those findings are in line with the Pulse survey, where just 14% of small businesses said they needed to obtain financial assistance or more capital. That share has been below one-fifth since mid-March.
Small businesses, according to these surveys, just don’t see the need for more capital or credit right now. That could be due to the dour expectations discussed above; or, it could be due two other headwinds facing small businesses.
The federal government reported last week that consumer prices rose last month at their fastest pace since 1982. This was no surprise to small businesses, who have been saying for weeks that they’re paying higher prices. Three-quarters of respondents in the Pulse survey say they face “moderate” or “large” increase in prices compared to pre-COVID. This is particularly true in construction, manufacturing, and accommodation/food service.
While many small businesses may have attempted to eat those higher prices in the hope that inflation would be “transitory,” more have begun to pass costs along to customers. The NFIB survey reported a seven-point increase—to a net 53 percent—in small businesses raising prices.
Nine out of 10 small businesses in the Alignable survey said they’re concerned about the negative impact of inflation, with one-third (34%) saying costs of supplies and inventory have risen by more than 25%!
Supply chain difficulties and delays continue to contribute to rising prices. Over half (55%) of respondents in the WSJ/Vistage survey cited challenges with domestic suppliers. The share isn’t quite that high in the Pulse survey (44%), but that’s close to the highest share going back to August 2020. Another 19% say they’re facing foreign supplier delays.
Back in January of this year, 12% of small business Pulse respondents said their biggest future need was to identify new supply chain options. That had nearly doubled, by the beginning of this month, to 22%.
Higher and Hire
Compounding their headaches—and contributing to higher prices—are the difficulties faced by small businesses in recruiting new employees. Here’s a rundown of survey findings on this front.
- Two-thirds face hiring difficulties, with 43% saying it’s “significantly more difficult” to find new employees.
NFIB Small Business Economic Trends:
- Net 44% reported raising compensation in a bid to hire new employees. That’s the highest level in the 48-year history of index.
NFIB Jobs Report, a separate survey run in November:
- Labor quality was cited as the top problem by 29% of small businesses, the highest in the 48 years of the survey.
- 48% said they had job openings they couldn’t fill; the historical average is 22%.
- 56% said there were no or few qualified applicants for their openings.
- 32% said they had difficulties in the last week hiring paid employees. (That was actually the lowest level for this particular question.) But for the twelfth straight survey reading, identifying and hiring new employees was cited as the biggest future need.
Supporting Small Business Competitiveness
One more recent survey is worth calling attention to, as it relates to ways that small businesses are trying to attract and retain employees. A new working paper published last month by the National Bureau of Economic Research found, in a survey, that small business support for paid family leave (PFL) “increased significantly during COVID-19.” In particular, those small businesses that used a state PFL program (in this case, New York or New Jersey), demonstrated the greatest increase in support for PFL policies.
The authors take care to note limitations and areas for further research, but this is noteworthy for a couple of reasons. First, expansion of paid leave is at the core of Washington policy disputes today, right on the heels of the pandemic and the demands it placed on workers who were sick or caring for sick family members. Second, the paper’s findings are contrary to the conventional wisdom that small businesses universally oppose paid leave policies.
Either way, this finding (however limited) demonstrates that small businesses might be thinking more creatively and expansively about how to navigate today’s challenges. Policymakers should be creative in seeking to support them.


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The use of synthetic fibres, especially polyester, has doubled in textiles in the past two decades and is likely to grow manifold by 2030, showing the global fashion industry's "dangerous addiction" to climate-destroying fossil fuels, like oil and gas, to power its business model.
That's the conclusion of a new report, titled Fossil Fashion: The Hidden Reliance of Fashion on Fossil Fuels, by a group of environmental organizations, including Plastic Soup Foundation and Clean Clothes Campaign.
Since the early 2000s, fashion production has doubled. It is expected to grow in volume from 62 million tonnes in 2015 to 102 million tonnes by 2030, representing $3.3 trillion in value. Much of this growth is rooted in runaway consumption—we are buying more clothes than ever before, wearing them less and creating huge piles of textile waste, most of which ends up in landfill or is burnt in toxic incinerators, says the report.
Polyester, which is derived from oil and accounts for 85% of the synthetic fibres used in clothing, is a major source of microfibre pollution. In fact, its production has grown ninefold in the past 50 years since it's a low-cost material that allows brands to churn out a never-ending variety of cheap items for the latest style or season, with durability of little concern. What's more, the average consumer is buying 60% more clothing compared to 15 years ago, yet wearing each item half as long. Polyester’s flexibility as a material has seen it creeping into other materials too, with blends such as cotton and polyester increasingly being used, creating another set of problems when it comes to waste management.
Production of cheap synthetic fibres not only enables low-quality, throwaway fashion, it also makes the industry highly dependent on continued fossil-fuel extraction, says the report. The production of synthetic fibres for the textile industry currently accounts for 1.35% of global oil consumption, exceeding the annual oil consumption of Spain.
The report says recycling will not solve fast fashion’s problems, nor will it curb the exponential growth in the use of synthetic fibres. Currently, less than 1% of clothes are recycled to make new clothes, and the share of recycled polyester is declining; while it accounted for 14% in 2019, this will, in fact, decrease to 7.9% of overall polyester production by 2030. Furthermore, virtually all recycled polyester in clothing comes not from recycled garments, but from recycled plastic bottles. Legislation and voluntary commitments by consumer goods companies mean there will be more competition for recycled PET.
It is more urgent than ever, the report insists, to find effective legislative solutions to put the fashion industry on a more sustainable track and to push towards great circularity. The pandemic has revealed the cracks in the industry’s faulty business model.
Urska Trunk, campaign manager at the Changing Markets Foundation, which partners with NGOs on market-focused campaigns, said in the press release: “We’re buying more, wearing it less, throwing it out faster, and more and more of it now comes from fossil fuels. We know that the fashion industry won’t solve this problem on its own. Although the Netherlands has progressive legislation in place to tackle some of the problems with fashion, it can not bring about single-handedly the transformation the planet needs. The European Commission needs to come forward with a wide-ranging textile strategy that overhauls the dependence of fashion on fossil fuels and puts the industry on a more sustainable footing. As one of the biggest textile markets, the EU has a terrific opportunity to address a blind spot which is endangering our ability to live within the planet’s limits.”


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Why Are Android Devices Slow to Patch?
Of 57 vulnerabilities affecting the Android operating system and other components patched by Google in June’s update, 11 of the bugs were rated as critical.
Per the Android Open Source Project, Android partners are notified by Google of all issues at least a month prior to publishing them. For Google-owned devices like Pixel and Nexus, they will receive over-the-air updates over the course of a week and a half.
But for some users on non-Google owned devices, they may not receive the patches or latest Android version until much later, as ThreatPost reports. Part of the reason why is that new Android patches must first be tested on devices for compatibility, which takes time and effort on the vendor's side. Other vendors also operate on different timelines, although monthly updates are now considered standard.
As Duo Labs found in the latest iteration of The 2018 Duo Trusted Access Report, 90 percent of Android devices were not on the latest security patch released 26 days prior.
While the large percentage may be due to the lag in different vendor updates available to Android users, it also sheds light on how many may be potentially susceptible to known Android vulnerabilities.
Plus, some of the latest security research suggests that some Android vendors actually forget to include some patches in their security updates provided to their users, according to findings by Security Research Labs researchers Jakob Lell and Karsten Nohl, as reported by HelpNetSecurity. One older Samsung device running an older Android version, on a Jan. 2018 patch level was found to be missing a few critical and high-severity patches.
However, as Security Research Labs cautions, modern operating systems like Android have security barriers in place that make exploitation more complex - often a few missing patches cannot lead directly to a compromise.
Patching is critically important to uphold the effectiveness of the different security layers already found in Android.
As Kyle Lady of Duo Labs states:
“For most Android devices, users are at the mercy of their mobile carriers to provide updates. In turn, carriers have to wait for device manufacturers to provide updated software for each model they produce. The platform fragmentation of Android provides great flexibility for manufacturers, but with that upside comes the downside of a substantial overhead to produce updates for the combination of every model and every carrier.
Android phones on version 4.4.4 or higher have the ability to receive monthly security updates, which can be pushed out faster than whole new versions of the operating systems, which is a win for consumers, though it's still not as much of a benefit as having the improved security features that come with newer OS versions.”
Google continues to develop up-to-date platform security with protections built into the Android OS in order to make devices more difficult to compromise with app isolation using sandboxing, file-based encryption, Verified Boot and more.
According to last year's Google Android Security Report, they also provide compatibility resources, collaborate with manufacturers and carriers, and work with partners to help keep Android device security up to date. In 2017, they increased the number of Android devices that receive security patches by more than 30 percent.
Download the 2018 Duo Trusted Access Report to see more about the current state of device health and remote access.


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Bank of America’s annual “Car Wars” survey predicts the industry will get a major jolt as carmakers introduce fleet of new electric vehicles in the next four model years, starting this fall.
The study, prepared by Bank of America’s lead analyst John Murphy, also cautions the pile up of new models in the crowded crossover segment will put pressure on the profitability of almost every manufacturer.
Toyota and Honda are expected to gain market share during the 2022 to 2025 model-year period while General Motors and Stellantis are expected to see losses because, despite the introduction of new electric vehicles, their overall line-up will be among the industry’s oldest.
The GM and Stellantis products will be just above the industry’s average “showroom age” or the time a vehicle has been on the market of three years, according to the Car War study.
The study also forecasts the number of new vehicle introductions is about to jump substantially, from a low of 34 new models during the 2021 model year, to an average of 60 new launches in the next four model years as carmakers race to bring on EVs.
New manufacturers to fall short
“A number EV-oriented automakers “have emerged with product targeted to launch over our forecast period, but a fierce competitive environment may limit success,” the study notes.
“Product activity is increasingly varied among OEMs and relative gaps are opening again. The range of strategies span OEMs with product pipelines focused on traditional high-volume models to OEMs focused on lower-volume electric vehicles.”
However, the “replacement rates appear” elevated versus historical levels due to the low volume base of 2020, even though product activity is generally still strong.
Throughout the forecast period, the new model mix is 72% utility vehicles — with much of that tilted toward crossovers and SUVs — and light trucks and 28% cars. The lack of balance creates risk, according to the study.
“Our lower average showroom age estimates are partially a result of an elevated level of product cancellations by OEMs, particularly in the passenger car segment,” the study says.
When assessed by traditional replacement rate, Honda and Toyota, appeared to have an advantage during the period. However, GM — and to a lesser extent VW — appear well positioned with regard to powertrain investment and EV introductions, according to Car Wars.
Detroit’s automakers lag on replacement rate
Overall, Detroit’s automakers all lag the industry replacement rate, though Ford is slightly ahead on a reaccelerated product cadence, GM behind due to lower-volume EV launches, and Stellantis, the former FCA, in the middle after a few hot launch years, the study says.
On the other hand, the Japanese manufacturers each have a somewhat volatile product cadence during the 2022-2025 model-year run and with a differentiated segment focus relative to the rest of the industry. Honda and Toyota lead the industry in cumulative replacement rate, while Nissan is behind.
Hyundai’s and Kia’s replacement rates are a bit behind the industry average, but they accelerate through each year of the forecast period. The South Korean pair’s launch mix is heavy — perhaps too heavy? — small cars and CUVs versus the industry, the study notes.
European manufacturers total replacement rate is just below the industry average, with Daimler ahead, VW more in line, and BMW behind. Product launches are dominated by the luxury, sporty cars and CUV segments, as well alternative powertrains, according to Bank of America.


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As traditional golf participation has risen in recent years, engagement has been even more pronounced away from the course—with more and more Americans taking up non-traditional forms of the game.
In fact, the number of people who hit golf balls with a club away from the course even eclipsed the 25 million-plus on-course players for the first time ever in 2022, according to the National Golf Foundation.
Typically, it’s golf entertainment like Topgolf that first springs to mind when mentioning these alternative forms of golf. But golf simulators are becoming increasingly commonplace—at commercial venues (like Topgolf Swing Suites, X-Golf, and Five Iron Golf)—as well as those for personal use. Between technological advancements and lower prices, the latter continues to become more of a reality for us regular golfers who want a home base to improve the swing, get reps in, or play as many holes as we want on increasingly realistic simulated courses no matter the weather or time of day.
And yet the idea of an at-home golf simulator set-up remains intimidating for some.
Where to start? What’s needed? How much is it going to cost? What brands to go with?
Those are questions and concerns a few “one-stop shop” companies like ACE Indoor Golf and The Indoor Golf Shop are looking to address, serving as distributors, manufacturers, and retailers of golf simulators—for consumers and commercial properties. As importantly, they’re agnostic, meaning they work with a wide range of competing brands within the simulator space, helping customers find the right fit, feel, and price range for them.
“We very much take a consultative approach,” said ACE Indoor Golf President Trevor Faust, who has been in the simulator business for two decades. “We’re trying to understand their goals for the space—maybe they want to tie in a home theater environment, man cave, Xbox, or health and fitness. Whatever it might be, we can consult and design that space based on the consumer’s desired cosmetics or budget. Alternatively, we have more of a DIY approach where we’ll offer different components and solutions. Maybe they already have the computer, screen, or technology selected and they’re trying to get the remaining aspects of their room to complete that buildout.
“So, it’s trying to understand what’s important to the customer and then getting them maximum value and bang for their buck based on the desired budgetary range since we represent 10 to 15 different hardware brands.”
The premium solutions—the full-blown designs and installations with eye-popping price tags—understandably get a lot of attention. But those golf simulator set-ups make up only about 15 percent of The Indoor Golf Shop’s business, says founder and president Rene Delgado.
About 25 percent is DIY business; typically, customers buying and assembling individual components or subcomponents like hitting mats and flooring, the screen, the frame, and so on to complement whatever technology they have. But the most popular approach, and about 60 percent of the business, is essentially a sim-in-a-box offering that bundles the soft goods and various tech offerings. This package, which The Indoor Golf Shop calls “Done for You,” is delivered to a customer’s doorstep with assembly instructions—including video and 3D animation—that walks them through the assembly.
“We try to make it as easy and straightforward as possible. A lot of it is just the convenience and we’ve gone through a lot of these,” says Delgado. “It includes everything and anything a customer would need to have a really nice golf simulator setup in their home or business.”
As for costs, $2,500 to $3,000 is a realistic jumping off point for a starter entry level package, one that has a golf mat, hitting net, and an entry level launch monitor. The price tag can easily rise above $30,000, but the average is generally in the $7,000 to $10,000 range.
Faust, whose family was one of the founding members of the simulator company AboutGolf and took over as the president of ACE about a year ago, remembers when most of the early home simulator offerings were in the $50,000 range.
“Today, there’s in many ways been a race to zero when it comes to the hardware manufacturers. Pricing has really become conducive to the average golfer,” Faust says. “So, you see the flexibility now with all kinds of packages based on desirability. You can get tracking technology in the sub-$2,000 category that are very accurate for game improvement and have the flexibility to go inside and outside. Technology has really come a long way.”
Basements, garages, and extra rooms are the most popular spaces for home golf simulators, although that varies by geography. Basements are more popular in the northernmost U.S. and Midwest, while states in the southern half—particularly in states like California, Florida, and Texas—tend to do more garage builds. There are also retractable simulator packages popular for flexible and shared spaces, like game rooms or media rooms, and some customers even opt to build a separate room.
Generally, though, the golf simulator space is experiencing the same surge in popularity as the traditional game.
“Our trend has very much followed that of the game of golf overall,” says Delgado. “Accessibility to the game is so important. Technology, simulators, launch monitors—they all really help provide more access to the sports for lots of people. We’ve seen a big uptick in business. I don’t see it losing steam anytime soon, that’s for sure.”
Do you have or know someone who has a home golf simulator? Tell us about their setup in the comment section.


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IG Group Unconcerned By New French Regulations
IG Group, one of the largest over-the-counter investing providers in Europe, have made their first official comments on France’s new sweeping ban on the industry’s advertising to consumers. The company expressed their lack of concern for the new regulations, which went into effect at the start of 2017, and have noted that the laws could even provide a competitive advantage in the medium-to-long term as other companies struggle to adapt.
The investment firm noted that the regulations apply to a certain subset of the CFD, binary options, and foreign exchange industry, but they had previously implemented new rules that would exempt them from the ban regardless. Additionally, the company’s revenues from the French market are not estimated to be a major part of its overall earnings. IG Group already lost billions in market capitalization in response to new regulations implemented in the UK as overall sentiment turns against the industry in Europe.
New Ban a Competitive Edge?
As some firms scramble to adjust after France’s new “Sapin II” law goes into effect to start 2017, IG Group seems content to stand pat and hold its course. The company noted in its first official comments following a series of regulatory losses for the industry that it did not see a major hurdle from France’s new law. Sapin II is designed to create more transparency in investing, but includes language that prohibits the advertising, through any electronic medium, of any high-risk and high-leverage online investment products. This includes foreign exchange, binary options, and in some cases, the contracts-for-difference that make up a large portion of IG’s earnings.
In prepared statements, IG declared on Monday that the new law would not “have a material negative impact on its business in France in the short-term”. IG noted that most of its current clients would not be affected, and their onboarding of new investors would not see a large drop-off, since they believe that their products are exempted thanks to their compliance with the ban’s restrictions. Sapin II’s limitations on advertising are based on the amount of leverage provided by investment firms, which generally includes a broad swath of the industry.
On the other hand, IG claims that it had already implemented new measures in adherence with the new regulations, including loss-by-position guarantees for new clients. Essentially, according to the company, this will guarantee that clients cannot be left with negative account balances in cases where trades go awry. Thus, IG sees a strong opportunity to capitalize on a French market that will be left mostly wide open by a dearth of viable investment options for consumers looking for OTC investment products.
Will The Industry Adapt?
While IG seems unconcerned of the new developments, some industry experts foresee compliance being difficult for many firms. For one, the new ban’s stipulations are less clear-cut than many companies believe, meaning that adhering to new regulatory frameworks is not a simple matter of limiting leverage across all products. Instead, compliance is defined on a more product-by-product basis, and thus not easy to implement in one fell swoop.
Many have foreseen that the industry, at least in France, will suffer greatly over the medium-to-long term as revenue streams dry without a viable alternative. Additionally, similar restrictions implemented in Belgium, Germany, and Holland have started to close doors for OTC investment providers. The result could be a radically different industry from the one seen today.
IG Group could very well survive, but is still contending with harsh regulations imposed by the UK’s FCA, which sent investors into a panic and wiped away millions in market capitalization for the company.
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First Leisure Credit score Union in Hollywood, California, has named Stephen Owen as its subsequent president and chief government.
Owen, who’s at the moment the chief retail and advertising and marketing officer for the $15 billion-asset First Tech Federal Credit score Union in San Jose, California, will be part of First Leisure Might 9. Owen succeeds Charles Bruen, who has been the credit score union’s interim president and CEO for the reason that starting of February and can stay in an advisory position as a part of succession planning. The $2.1 billion-asset First Leisure attracts members from movie and tv industries.
“[Owen] has a confirmed monitor document of monetary experience and expertise in retail banking, and embraces the credit score union ‘folks serving to folks’ philosophy … together with his ardour for enhancing the member expertise, we will proceed to develop and promote monetary wellness to our inventive group,” Howard Welinsky, chair of First Leisure’s board, stated in a press launch Thursday.
Previous to his tenure with First Tech, Owen additionally held management roles with the $9 billion-asset OnPoint Group Credit score Union in Portland, Oregon, and with the $2.5 trillion-asset Financial institution of America in Charlotte, North Carolina.
“I respect the boldness the board of administrators has positioned in me to steer the credit score union into the long run … First Leisure is a trusted monetary companies supplier for the leisure group and I sit up for persevering with our mission of serving to members obtain their goals,” Owens stated within the launch.
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Updated: August 17, 2015 4:32:35 pm
At Google I/O in May, the company showed users the next level of Android which for now is only known as Android M. So far Google has not revealed what the M will stand for, but given the company’s history of naming its OS after a dessert, the tradition is unlikely to break this year either.
On August 14, Android’s official Twitter handle put out this teaser of a tweet saying that when it came to Android M’s name, everyone can keep guessing.
Check out the tweet below
The tweet links to a video posted by Google Employees Nat and Lo who also have the same question as everyone else: What will M stand for?
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Watch the video below: (App users click here for video)
And while the Google video indicates names like Moon-pie, Milkshake, etc, some fans in India might be wondering whether it’s time to go with an Indian name, you know because Google has an Indian as CEO now. Interestingly the video even mentions Mango Lassi, but of course that doesn’t mean Google will go with such a name.
For now, we don’t know what name Google has chosen for Android M and the suspense continues.
The Android M roll-out should begin with the launch of the new Nexus smartphone one of which will be made by LG and another by Huawei, according to reports.
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Motorola has introduced the Droid Pro smartphone and it will be arriving at the Verizon stores sometime in the next few weeks. The Android-based device, which is said to be optimized for business use, is aimed at the BlackBerry market.
The Droid Pro will be an excellent addition to Android handset lineup of the Verizon Wireless. It will fit in nicely in between the Motorola Droid X and the Droid 2 and will offer some extra enterprise features the other two handsets lack.
The Droid Pro will be coming equipped with a portrait QWERTY keyboard placed below a 3.1-inch touchscreen. The Pro features a CDMA/GSM chip which will enable global voice connectivity in more than 220 countries and data support in over 200 countries.
The device, which will be running Android 2.2 “Froyo”, will also have a 1GHz processor and a 5 megapixel camera with auto-focus and LED flash.
The device will allow users to both read and edit Microsoft Office documents. If the device is lost or stolen, an administrator can remotely wipe the data from both the phone and the removable microSD card in the phone.
The Droid Pro may not quite displace BlackBerrys in large enterprises, but it is a step in the right direction, especially with its security features.
The pricing information of the Droid Pro is not yet available, but it will be announced closer to the launch date.
Tags: Android, Android 2.2, BlackBerry, CDMA, Droid, droid 2, DROID Pro, Droid X, Froyo, keyboard, launch, microSD, Microsoft:, Motorola, Pricing,, processor, QWERTY, Smartphone, touchscreen, Verizon
Posted October 7th, 2010 in News by Michael


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Owners of the seven-seat Mahindra XUV500 SUV are being asked to return their vehicle to a dealership to have a software upgrade installed.
The recall affects Mahindra XUV500 vehicles sold in Australia between the 12th of June 2012 and the 30th of June 2014.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says there’s a possibility of an intermittent fault code inhibiting deployment of the side curtain air-bag.
The ACCC warning that if the air-bag in the seven-seat SUV does not deploy correctly there is an increased risk of injury to the driver during a collision.
Mahindra Australia is writing directly to affected Mahindra XUV500 SUV owners who are being asked to contact their nearest Mahindra Dealer to have upgraded software installed.
That rectification process should take less than ten minutes.


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Apple [AAPL] introduced Final Cut Pro X last week to a huge response — the majority of which exceedingly negative. Video pros were furious at key features missing from the software, dubbing the release ‘iMovie Pro‘. Now Apple has published a statement promising those missing features aren’t missing at all, but on the way — eventually.
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- Fill your iPod, iPhone with free, fresh music from the world of Ancient Audio
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Tagsamazon apple app store BBC broadcasting digital digital lifestyle digital media digital music digital video DRM DRM-free EMI file-sharing film free music google iPad iphone ipod ipod touch itunes Mac microsoft mobile MP3 music music industry music sales myspace myspace music nokia online online music online video radiohead social networking sony television tv UK Universal video Warner youtube
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (April 23, 2008) — Carlisle Companies Inc. said it will sell its power transmission belt and on-highway brake businesses, and took an $89.5 million after-tax charge on its first quarter financial results related to that decision.
The belting business, based in Springfield, Mo., makes belts, pulleys and related components for customers in the industrial, snowmobile and ATV markets. It operates plants in Springfield, Fort Scott, Kan., and Shenzhen, China, and employs 900, according to the company.
The brake business operates two factories in Indiana and one in China. Together, the power transmission and brake businesses posted sales of about $200 million last year, the firm said.
David A. Roberts, Carlisle chairman, president and CEO, said the company expects to net more than $100 million in cash from the divestiture within the next 12 months.
Carlisle reported a net loss of $62.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, while sales grew 13 percent to $708.3 million. Higher raw material costs and productivity problems in the tire and wheel business caused operating income to fall 13.7 percent to $44.1 million.
The company said it is implementing additional cost reductions and price increases across most products to help offset rising raw materials costs.


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Alaska Air Cargo to deliver season’s first catch of Copper River salmon at Sea-Tac Airport
Excerpt from Alaska Airlines newsroom:
The annual rite of spring continues as Alaska Air Cargo flies the season’s first catch of prized Copper River salmon from Cordova, Alaska, to Seattle and points beyond. The first shipment is scheduled to arrive at approximately 7 a.m. on Tuesday, May 16, at the Alaska Air Cargo Warehouse at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Every year Alaska Air Cargo partners with the state of Alaska’s three largest seafood processors – Trident Seafoods, OBI Seafoods and Copper River Seafoods – to bring the coveted fish to Seattle and Anchorage, Alaska, where it will then be delivered to restaurants and grocery stores throughout the Pacific Northwest and across the country.
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Nissan Motor Co. will halt all production lines at its Smyrna, Tenn., factory for two weeks starting Monday due to semiconductor shortages brought on by a COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, a company spokesperson told Steel Market Update. The global chip shortage is having a signficant impact on the consumption of steel by the automotive industry.
Production at Nissan’s six-million-square-foot Tennessee facility is expected to resume the week of Aug. 30. The shutdown is among the longest at any U.S. auto plant since the onset of the chip shortage that began late last year.
“We continue to work closely with our supplier partners to assess the impact of supply chain issues and minimize disruption for vehicle deliveries to our dealers and customers,” the spokesperson added.
The two-week suspension at the Japanese automaker’s highest-volume vehicle assembly plant in North America will affect production of six Nissan models, including the Rogue, the company’s top-selling U.S. vehicle. Nissan’s other plants in Decherd, Tenn., Canton, Miss., and Mexico will remain in operation, the company said.
This week’s chip-related disruptions weren’t limited to Nissan.
Toyota Motor Corp. will also be experiencing some non-production time throughout the month of August, a company spokesperson confirmed to SMU. Its assembly plant in Georgetown, Ky., the automaker’s largest vehicle manufacturing plant in North America, and its Canadian production lines in Cambridge and Woodstock, Ontario, will all be impacted.
“Due to COVID-19 and unexpected events, Toyota is experiencing additional supply shortages that will affect production at some of our North American plants,” the carmaker said. “While the situation remains fluid and complex, our manufacturing and supply chain teams have worked diligently to develop countermeasures to minimize the impact on production.”
The Japanese car manufacturer said that the duration and totality of the current disruptions are not clear, but assembly will be impacted with some non-production days in the coming weeks.
“It’s really a fluid situation and changes daily,” a Toyota spokesperson said. “Some lines will be down for several days, at this point, but not the entire plant.”
The Honda Motor Co. continues to manage supply chain issues related to several factors including the impact from COVID-19, congestion at various ports and the microchip shortage, the company said.
Some of the automaker’s North American operations were adjusted this week, and production lines were impacted due to parts supply limitations, a spokesperson said. The company declined to provide any plant or model-specific information, but is scheduled to issue an update on the situation at 9 a.m. EST on Monday.
Both Daimler and Stellantis said they are running production at all of their North American facilitates this week.
By David Schollaert, email@example.com
David SchollaertRead more from David Schollaert
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Snowboarding isn't dead — far from it. Despite what many pessimistic Peters may have told you, there are some places in the US where riding is ascendant, powered by innovative, scrappy entrepreneurs and die-hard, passionate riders who’ve mostly moved on from the staple brands of yesteryear.
No region epitomizes this movement better than the West Coast, and in particular, Bend, Oregon, where in recent years the area has become a snowboarder’s promised land in an otherwise stagnant era. Leading the charge as one of Bend’s pioneering outdoor startups, Snoplanks has been a huge part of this movement, breaking trail and proving-out a model where boutique-level craftsmanship — not what’s trendy — is again a top priority.
A powder hero Surfing the Earth in a volcanic mountain range near you. Jon Tapper photo.
“People in Bend love riding,” Snoplanks founder and shaper James Nicol told TGR during an interview. “Bend’s attracting those young, go-getter types that are very focused on snowboarding, and they’re putting their mindset toward building successful brands that are based here. … Bend has become the epicenter for that outdoor entrepreneurial spirit.”
Conceived in 2012 on a Mt. Bachelor chairlift, Snoplanks has made a name for itself by handcrafting bamboo snowboards, skis and skate decks that come in both edgeless (for the bootpack) and edged (for the resort) varietals. Combining ecologically sound construction with a renewable bamboo-sourcing scheme, the company has seen a giant leap in popularity over the past few years.
Oregon powder zen = Snoplanks Model A. Jon Tapper photo.
According to Nicol, Bend is different because it has the energy and infrastructure set up to help young businesses grow. “We’ve got an outdoor incubator, Bend Outdoor Worx, that we went through. They ... really try to springboard the businesses to the next level. A lot of badass local companies have gone through that. Whether you’re starting an outerwear brand, a ski brand, or a surf brand, anything like that, there’s a lot of opportunity for collaboration and coaching with people that have done it already.”
Not just a place where business is booming, Oregon has also become a training ground for some of the best riders on the planet. "There were four Bend riders coming in the top ten at the Mt. Baker banked slalom this year," Nicol said. "There’s that much talent coming out of here. It’s cool to see, and it definitely creates a community around snowboarding and skiing."
Starting last summer, Snoplanks began collaborating and building bamboo skate decks with another one of Bend’s notable citizens, surf legend and master shaper Gerry Lopez. Utilizing leftover bamboo from wintertime ski/board manufacturing, Nicol and Lopez took one of Lopez’s discarded surfboard designs and downsized it to become the template for Snoplanks' bestselling Street Surfer skate deck series.
I like to have them to look at and touch, same thing with the skateboards — they’re works of art.
“He said he was gonna make some skateboards,” Lopez recalled, “and I showed him some outline drawings that I’d never used, and said, ‘if you’re interested in using any of those, go for it.’ So he made a bunch of cool skateboards, and they kinda took off — my son rides one, but I don’t. I’m kinda like a glass ball — if I fall down I’ll probably shatter.”
Central Oregon serving up doses of shred nirvana via the Snoplanks/Gerry Lopez Street Surfer. Lane Pearson photo.
Gerry, himself a passionate snowboarder and pow hunter, first met Nicol while staging his namesake Big Wave Challenge event at Mt. Bachelor, and since has become a big fan of the growing hometown snowboard company.
“I love the wood,” the surf godfather told TGR. “Wood is really, really hard to work with. People that are able to do quality work with wood fascinate me. I build surfboards, I’ve been doing that for almost 50 years, and it’s so much easier to work with foam than it is with wood, there’s no comparison.
“They ride great, but look even better!” Lopez continued. “I like to have them to look at and touch, same thing with the skateboards — they’re works of art.”
Coming to a Quiver Near You
Elena Pressprich feels the stoke during a ski tour on the Snoplanks SnoSticks. Anna Jacobs photo.
Snoplanks sells a premium product for a premium price, so in an effort to make their hard goods available to the masses, the company recently implemented a new way to sell their equipment.
“We realize we have a high-end product that’s not readily available to everybody who wants it,” Nicol acknowledged. “We were looking for a solution so we could make it easier for people who didn’t just have $850 to throw at a piece of equipment.”
We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for people to get on our boards.
As a solution, Snoplanks partnered with digital financing firm SpitIt, and has begun offering their customers the option of paying in installments, staggering the total cost of a plank over the course of a year and making the premium $850 price tag more palatable to the common dirtbag.
“If we can provide the ability to get on our site, purchase one of our boards that you’ve been lusting over for a long time — but allow you to do it under your terms — it opens up a whole different audience and demographic. We’re trying to make it as easy as possible for people to get on our boards.”
Pete Alport photo.